Casting machine



Sept. 11, 1923. 1,467,490

P. E. NORRIS CASTING MACHINE Filed April 9. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept.11, 1923.

P. E. NORRIS CASTING MACHINE Filed April 9, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PAULE. NORRIS, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR- 'I't) WILLARD STORAGEBATTER-Y COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPGRATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

CASTING MACHINE.

Application filed April 9,

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL E. Nonms, a citizen of the United States,residing at Swissvale, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inCasting Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to certain improvements in casting machinesdapted especially for casting lead storage battery parts.

The casting machine constituting the subject matter of this inventioncomprises a sectional rotary casting table, each section having one ormore molds in which the molten metal is cast int-o pieces of the desiredshape, and each being provided with an ejector co-operating with asuitable stationary part such as a cam, the mechanism being so arrangedthat molten metal may be poured onto the table at one point so as tofill the molds, and at another point the excess metal will be scrapedoff the "top of the table after the metal has sufiiciently cooled andhardened, and at another point the cast pieces will be ejected.

The principal features of the invention reside in forming the castingtable of removable sections, preferably sector shaped, each sectionhaving its own ejector which can be applied or removed with the sectionas when it is desired to vary the shape of the parts to be cast, or toreplace a damaged section.

The invention may be further briefly sumarized as consisting in certainnovel details of construction, and combinations and arrangements ofparts which will be described in the specification and set forth in theappended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings, F ig. 1 is a plan view of theapparatus formed in accordance with my invention; Fig 2 is a side Viewof the same; Figs.

' 3 to 6 inclusive are detailed views of the cam which co-operates withtheejectors to eject the cast parts from the molds, Fig. 3 being a planview of the cam, Figs. i and 5 cross-sectional views of the same, andFig. 6 a developed view; Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical section throughthe center of the casting table; Fig 8 is a top plan view of the rotarymold carrier or sectional 1920. Serial No. 372,594.

table; Fig. 9 is a top plan view of one of the segment shaped moldblocks of the table; and Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view of thesame.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 represents a stationary frame or baseon which is" rotatably supported to rotate about a fixed shaft 11 (seeparticularly Fig. 7) a sectional horizontal casting table 12. This table12, which is constructed in the manner hereinafter explained, is carriedby a rotary mold support 13, (see Figs. 7 and 8) which is in the form ofa hollow casting provided at the top and bottom with hublike extensions13 and 13 having openings through which the stationary shaft 11 extends.Between these extensions 13 and 13 there is lateral spider-like,circular enlargement or rim 13 having spaced openings 13, as shown mostclearly in Fig. 8, this part of the mold support carrying the blocks ofwhich the casting table 12 is composed. The mold support is centered onthe shaft 11 at the hubs or axial extensions 13 and 13 which arerecessed to receive upper and lower packing glands 14 and 15, and themold support is rotatably support-- ed from a horizontal portion 10 ofthe frame 10 by a ball and ring bearing 16 (see Fig. 7).

Though the mold support and sectional casting table may be rotated indifferent ways, in this instance the lower hub or extension 13" of themold support has fixed to it a. gear 17 which is engaged and driven by apinion 18 at the top 'of a vertical shaft 19 suitably journaled in theframe 10, and this shaft is rotated through suitable speed reducingpower transmitting gears which may be designated as a whole by thereference character 20, and by a motor 21 mounted on a motor support 22resting on the base of the machine.

Coming now to the parts of the machine in which my invention is moredirectly involved, it will be observed by reference particularly to Fig1, that the casting table 12 is composed of a series of wedged shaped orsegmental blocks 12 which when assembled on the rotary support 13 form acomplete and unbroken annular casting table. Each mold block fits ontothe laterally extending circular flange or rim 13 of the rotary moldsupport 13, and these blocks are secured in place by a segmental ring 23secured by screws 24 to the mold support 13, and overlappin slightly theinner portions of the mold bloc s which are notched asshown at 12" toaccommodate the overhanging portion of the ring 23. Additionally themold blocks have outer depending flanges 12 which are secured by axiallydisposed screws 25 to the outer periphery of the circular rim 13 of themold support 13, the screws enterin the part 13 between the openings 13as W1 1 appear from Fig. 8.

At the top of each mold block 12 is a mold cavity 12 shaped tocorrespond to the part to be cast.

Each mold block 12 has attached to its under side an ejector unit whichextends down through one of the openings 13 of the rotarymold carrier.Each e'ector unit includes an ejector tube 26 provided at its upper endwith flanges secured by screws 27 to the lower side of the mold block,which tube accommodates either one or two ejector rods 28 which extendup through the tube to the base of the mold cavity. For casting certainparts such as so-calledplate straps, one ejector rod only is employedfor each mold cavity, but if so-called connectors are to be cast, whoseoutline is similar to that illustrated in Fig. 9, two-ejector rods areutilized. The e ector rods are surrounded by coil springs 29 located inthe ejector tube 27, and serving to yieldingly hold the ejector rods intheir lowermost positions, and at the lower ends of the ejector rods aretransverse pins which project through slots 30 of the ejector tubes, andare provided at opposite ends outside the tube with rollers 31.

Co-operating with these ejectors is an arcshaped ejector cam 32'which issecured to the part 10 of the frame. This cam has two arc-shaped camtracks '32 adapted to be engaged by the rollers 31 as the table isrotated so as to force the cast parts out of the mold cavities.

Extending across the top of the table and slightly above the same is acutter bar 33 supported at its ends by bolts or equivalent means 34extending up from the frame or bed, and at the center supported at thetop of the stationary shaft 11 about which the table 12 and tablesupport rotate. This cutter bar carries a stationary trimming knife 35(see Figs. 1 and 2) which engages the top of the table and cuts orscrapes the excess metal off the same.

In 0 ration, assuming that the proper mold 'blfcks are in place on thetable sup port, the table is rotated, and molten metal is poured ontothe same, perferably in a continuous stream, and at a rate which dependsupon the of the table. The metal completely fills the mold cavities andruns menace over the top of the mold blocks. The point at which themetal is poured onto the table is so located with respect to the cutter35 that the metal congeals before the cutter is reached, though I may,if desired, hasten the congealing of the metal by supplying water ontothe table or onto the molten metal bysa suitably positioned water supplypipe. the table 1s rotated, the cutter 35 cuts or peels off all excessmetal, leaving the top surface of the mold blocks clean, and leavingsmooth top surfaces on the parts that are cast in the mold cavities.Then after the mold blocks pass the cutter the parts cast in the moldsare ejected by the action of the stationary cam 32 elevating the e'ectorrods 28. As the castings are thus llfted from the mold blocks, anoperator brushes or wipes them off the table and they are carried awayby a suitable chute or other suitable means. tthe same time the excemmetal peeled off the table by the cutter is allowed to run down a chuteor equivalent device.

By forming the table of sector shaped mold blocks and by forming eachmold block and its ejector as a unit which can be applied to or removedas one element from the machine, it is apparent that the mold blocks canbe very quickly changed when necessary or advisable.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a casting machine, a rotary horizontal casting table composed of aplurality of separate or independent fixed mold blocks having moldcavities and having a continuous flat surface and provided on the lowersides thereof with vertically movable ejectors, each ejector and itsmold block constituting a unit which may be applied to or removed fromthe machine, and means controlled by the movement of the table forelevating the ejectors to lift the castings from the mold cavities.

2. In a casting machine, a frame and a flat horizontal casting tableincluding a table support mounted on the frame for movement about avertical axis, and a plurality of fixed tapered or segment shaped mold.blocks independently secured to said support and when assembled forminga continuous annular surface, said mold blocks having mold cavities inthe top faces, and a cutter engaging said continuous annular surface forremoving excess metal.

3. In a casting machine, a frame and a horizontal casting tableincluding a table support mounted on the frame for movement about avertical axis, and a plurality of tapered or segment shaped mold blocksindependently secured to said support and when assembled forming acontinuous annular surf-ace, said mold blocks having mold cavities inthe top faces, ejector means carried by the mold block and includingparts extending up to the mold cavities, and

means controlled by the movement of the table for operating the ejectormeans, said blocks being relatively fixed during the casting andejecting operations.

4:. In a casting machine, a frame and a horizontal casting tableincluding a table support mounted on the frame for movement about avertical axis, and a plurality of tapered or segment shaped mold blocksindependently secured to said support and when amembled forming acontinuous annular surface, said mold blocks having mold cavities in thetop faces, a cutter engaging said annular surface for removing excessmetal and ejector means on the lower sides of the mold blocks andincluding vertically movable rods extending through the mold blocks tothe mold cavities, said blocks being relatively fixed during the castingand ejecting operations.

5. In a casting machine a rotary horizontal casting table composed of aplurality ot' independent fixed mold blocks having mold cavities andhaving a continuous flat sur face, said blocks being provided on thelower sides thereof with vertically movable ejectors, each ejector andits mold block constituting a unit which may be applied to or removedfrom the machine, means for imparting a continuous rotative movement tothe table and means controlled by the movement of the table forelevating the ejectors to lift the castings from the mold cavities.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

PAUL E. NORRIS.

